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Levi Chavez's alibi witness awaits judge's ruling

It's now up to a district court judge if an Albuquerque cop will get his badge back.

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Updated: 6:42 PM MDT Jun 26, 2013

Levi Chavez's alibi witness awaits judge's ruling

It's now up to a district court judge if an Albuquerque cop will get his badge back.

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Updated: 6:42 PM MDT Jun 26, 2013

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WEBVTT A FORMER A-P-D OFFICER AWAITS A JUDGE'S RULING, TO SEE IF HE CAN GET HIS JOB BACK. RUSSELL PEREA WAS WORKING ALONG SIDE LEVI CHAVEZ, THE NIGHT CHAVEZ'S WIFE DIED. THE CITY SAYS PEREA WAS FIRED BECAUSE HE WAS UNTRUTHFUL. ACTION 7 NEWS ANCHOR ROYALE DA WAS AT TODAY'S HEARING AND HAS MORE, NEW AT SIX. RUSSELL PEREA WANTS TO BE A COP AGAIN, HE WAS FIRED IN 2011... ACCUSED OF LYING DURING INTERVIEWS ABOUT WHERE HE AND LEVI CHAVEZ WERE WHEN CHAVEZ'S WIFE WAS EITHER KILLED OR COMMITTED SUICIDE. Rebecca Wardlaw/ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY: "What Mr. Perea did do is give a very peculiar version of the events on October 20th, when he was partnered with Levi Chavez." A PERSONNEL BOARD RULED THERE WAS NO PROOF PEREA LIED AND SHOULD GET HIS BADGE BACK...BUT THE CITY IS APPEALING THAT DECISION AND WEDNESDAY JUDGE BACON HEARD ARGUMENTS. Wardlaw: "They handled one domestic violence call early in that evening and there after they went off the radar. THE CITY SAYS FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING THEY CODED THEMSELVES AS UNAVAILABLE TO TAKE CALLS AND PEREA GAVE SEVERAL TESTIMONIES TO OFFICIALS AND NONE OF THEM MATCHED UP. PEREA'S ATTORNEY, SAM BREGMAN SAYS THE CITY HAS NO CASE. Sam Bregman/Perea's Attorney: "Untruthfulness? Where have they established that even today? Where have they pointed to you in the record one single specific statement that they know was an absolute lie? No where, because he did not lie." BREGMAN ASKED JUDGE BACON TO LET PEREA BACK ONTO THE FORCE, JUST AS A HEARING OFFICER HAS ALREADY SUGGESTED LAST YEAR. Sam Bregman/Perea's Attorney: "His decision was to recommend to the personnel board to rescind Mr. Perea's termination quote, on the basis of the city's failure to demonstrate employee wrong doing." Royale Da: "no word on when Judge Bacon will come back with a ruling on Perea's future employment as an officer. Reporting in District Court... Royale Da, KOAT, Action 7 News." NEITHER ATTORNEY WANTED TO COMMENT ABOUT THE CASE.

Levi Chavez's alibi witness awaits judge's ruling

It's now up to a district court judge if an Albuquerque cop will get his badge back.